When Los Angeles had Jerry West night in his final season, Bill Russell flew himself to LA, asked to give a speech, did a 5-10 minute tribute to West and then ended it saying (slightly paraphasing) “Jerry, I hope you find nothing but happiness in your life.”
That’s how respected Jerry West was by his peers
Edit: I wanted to give the full correct quote. From Bill Simmons’ book,
“Jerry, I once wrote that success is a journey, and that the greatest honor a man can have is the respect and friendship of his peers. You have that more than any man I know. Jerry, you are, in every sense of the word, truly a champion. If I could have one wish granted, it would be that you would always be happy.”